WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – The No. 3-ranked Lindsey Wilson football team opened Mid-South Conference play on the road with a 37-10 win over Cumberlands (Ky.) on Saturday evening at James H. Taylor II Stadium.

The Blue Raiders crowded the line of scrimmage defensively, pressuring the Patriots into negative 21 rushing yards for the contest. The mark is a new program record, breaking the previous mark which was set against Southern Virginia during the program's first season. Lindsey Wilson's defense allowed just one touchdown and a field goal during the contest.

Seven Blue Raiders contributed to eight sacks in the contest which resulted in a loss of 56 yards for the Patriots. Kobe Collier and Therone Orr managed two sacs each, helping LWC reach the eight sac mark for the first time since accomplishing the feat against Georgetown last season. Darius Holden and Luke Bowman led LWC with seven tackles.

Cumberlands put seven on the board during their opening drive, using just four plays to go 84-yards. Ben Nix found Phillip Garner for 18-yards and the opening score. The Blue Raider defense held the Patriots to just three more points after the opening drive and allowed just 178 more yards.

The Blue Raiders responded on their opening possession, using five plays to go 53-yards. Noel Patterson set up the Blue Raiders starting field position with a 43-yard kickoff return at the LWC 47-yard line. Will McDonald capped off the drive with a 33-yard pass to Logan Collier for the score.

The score was the first of three straight for Lindsey Wilson.

Ethan Cash capped off the Blue Raiders next drive with a pass that was deflected by Cumberlands defenders and found the waiting hands of Elvin Fofanah who ran it in from five yards out. Lindsey Wilson moved down the field in nine plays, going 64-yards in 4:40. A two-point conversion was attempted by LWC but they failed to convert.

A McDonald connection to Collier for 44-yards pushed the Blue Raiders deep inside Cumberlands territory early in the second half. The play sets up a Jbias Dawson score from four yards out and a 20-7 lead. Ian Sauter knocked home a field goal from 33-yards out to give LWC a 23-10 lead at the break.

Following a defensive battle in the third quarter, Lindsey Wilson finally found the endzone at the 11:43 mark of the fourth.

Zach Thornton came off the edge untouched on a Patriots punt and cleanly blocked the attempt and recovered the ball at the UC six-yard line. McDonald found Jaleel Warren on an out route for three yards and the score five plays later. Warren broke towards the sideline and plowed his way through multiple UC defenders and into the end zone.

The Blue Raiders punched in their final score of the contest with 2:43 to play in the game. The drive went five plays and 49-yards and was capped off by a McDonald eight-yard pass to Dawson.

Special teams helped guide Lindsey Wilson to victory as Patterson continuously set up the Blue Raiders in great starting field position. His two kickoff returns went for 84-yards as he added five punt returns for 29-yards.

Sauter's seven kickoffs went for 447-yards, an average of 63.9-yards, and had three touchbacks. He averaged 44.8-yards per punt with a long of 51 as two were downed inside the UC 20-yard line.

McDonald finished the evening with 192 passing yards and three touchdowns. Logan Collier managed 106 receiving yards and a score as Manny Scott finished with 75 yards. Four Blue Raiders caught touchdown passes during the contest.

Lindsey Wilson returns home this Saturday for their homecoming game against Campbellsville (Ky.) and the Battle of Highway 55. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.